I wish to sell my 01 cherokee, and get a camaro, (rs or z28, more preferably the z). My insurance would actually go DOWN (idk how that works) if I did this..also id be getting slightly better mileage, even with the z28, this is because i will be driving to college soon and cant do the jeep's 11-4 city/20 highway, compared to the 16-17 city/ 23-26 highway with the z (if i keep off it and even better with the rs option) oh and if it helps the year of the camaro would most likely be 98-02

My problem is that every time I see a lifted cherokee i think twice about selling it, and then i'm torn since I love the jeep, but really want something with a little batter gas and that ill use more (since i really dont offroad as much as I thought i would), and is a nicer highway cruiser.

Things to consider:
If i keep the jeep, im lifting it. 3" with 30's or 31's, which id be getting even less than that 14/20 ratio
I really don't offroad that much
I would get more use and fun out of the camaro on the road
My family does have a car I could use for the winter months if I needed it

So thats that, should I keep the jeep? or sell it and buy a camaro??

Any comments questions or concerns are appreciated!

Thanks

__________________
"I have been to the dark side.....their cookies are horrible"

Ive had this same problem. I ended up sell my jeep got a muscle car and it was fun for the first 3-4 months and then I started noticing trails id never been down and getting calls from friends to go wheeling, and just the over all comfort of not having to fall into an climb out of a car. So I sold the car an got another jeep. If I was you and your worried about the fuel mileage for traveling to school an back. I would keep the jeep and just pick up a little civic or accord something mid 90's. theyre cheap easy to work on and awesome on gas.

You know, you SAY that winter isn't an issue because your family has a vehicle you can use, but I've been there, and it's still a pain. I had an 83 El Camino that was my baby, but I eventually sold it because I didn't want to have to rely on someone else's car during the winter anymore.

It is my opinion (as well as my chosen course of action) that you should get yourself a 365-day driver, and buy the toy later as a 2nd vehicle. Perhaps the Jeep just isn't the right vehicle for you, but I don't think that the Camaro is at this point in your life either. This is just a thought, but how do you feel about a Subaru? My girlfriend has a 98 Outback, and I respect the hell out of it. It gets 25+ mpg. For road and mild off-road purposes, they're scary capable, and something like a WRX would be a bit of both worlds--capable driver and a sporty toy. The Subaru community is also nearly as awesome and knowledgeable as the Jeep community.

Cameros are piles of crap. I had one and the interior (plastic) falls apart and really getting a camero for gas milage is dumb.
Do a good tune up on your XJ to get some better MPG's . I dont care that much about gas milage it just becomes part of the budget. Maybe only go wheeling once or twice a month to reduce yur gas consumption and try to kill 2 birds with one stone when ya do have to go somewhere .

I've owned a couple Camaro's (83 Z28 & 94 Z28) I can tell you they handle like **** compared to the 02 Mustang GT I owned. The gas milage sucks you'll always be on the gas . The interriors are built like crap IMO the 3rd Gen interior build quality was better then the 4th gen

When you're in college the best thing to look for is what is practical. If the Jeep fits that bill keep it, otherwise look for something that is practical for you. As mschi772 said, look for what will be the best daily driver for you and only get a toy when you can afford to have a second vehicle.

I have 95 XJ and a 2013 Mustang GT now. But I bought them both after I graduated college and got a decent job. When I was in college I didn't have the time for the Jeep or the Funds to afford the Mustang, or put gas in either of them. So I had a Pontiac G6 (3.5L) when I was in college which got good gas mileage, was reliable, had decent (though not spectacular) performance, and did pretty well in snow (up to 6" or so, anymore and it was buried to the frame).

If your XJ is reliable and the gas mileage isn't a concern, keeping it is a good idea. If you need good gas mileage look for a small or midsized car. Subarus are a good option if you want a vehicle that gets good mileage and still has AWD.

Thanks for all of the opinions guys, and just to answer/respond to some statements,

@lowbudget87yj, I cant fit into those little hondas, i barley fit into my girlfriends crv (even my jeep) so id personally not get one, and I'm just more of an american car guy too.

@mschi772, well it SEEMS like it isn't a problem, but i have you guys the short story, basically my dad has a company car he uses hats fine for the snow, and my mom drives her hundai in the snow too, it handles fine and hasn't had a problem, so the other jeep we have that my dad used to drive is just a whoever needs it kind of car, and I'm almost always the one to be driving it, so it really isn't an issue lol, also if it snows to the point where I would have to drive it, my mom usually makes everyone stay inside anyways xD. Also, if I got a subaru, it would have to be an impreza, and that's one of the highest insurance cost cars for kids my age, so that wouldn't be the best idea really.

@modstock, well I don't know what kind of camaro you owned, but I'm not buying a 3K pile of junk or a camaro that needs a little work, I'm gonna do it the right way, and have a 6-8k range, cause you can find some good quality camaros that wont have any problems (from what I have found).

@tom95yj, I can understand your point, but personally I'm more of a chevy guys when it comes to the ford vs chevy debate, I give complete respect to mustangs, but they're too common, and they get sightly worse mpg than camaros, and c'mon who doesn't love t-tops? Oh and also, you said the mpg sucks, and that you'll always be on the gas? from that I'm guessing you drove it like you stole it? because that would be causing you mpg problem lol, not to start a debate or battle but just a thought lol. I'm a responsible driver, and know I would be able to handle it, I'm more of a cruiser than a racer, so i would be getting the better mileage compared to other guys that always want to race around lol.

@dmill89, I understand your point, although I'm not really worried about the money too much, since the gas would be better than the jeep, and insurance less, etc, etc. and i do hear you on the keeping the jeep, if i was just commuting or something id be keeping it, but I'm driving almost 400mi to college, and I'm lifting the truck over the summer if I'm keeping it, so id probably be getting less mpg than I am now. I'm also not worried about AWD, i rarely put my truck in snow or not, so I'm not concerned with losing that capability.

Thanks for all you comments!! its really giving me more to think about, so i appreciate all of this , if there is anything else anyone would like to add, please do!

P.S.

To tie some loose end that I found, with the first comment on "it would have to be an impreza", personally i cant drive the the average everyday kind of cars, i like to have something different than the rest and to stand out a little, i know it sounds slightly arrogant, but i just like it that way, i just don't like to go with the flow and blend in like everyone else.

Also, when I said im not too concerned about the money, this is because I would not be driving the camaro everyday, because of the spare jeep that my family has, so it would be on nicer days/half the week, etc. even in college, id drive it like maybe once or twice a week. The main thing is driving to and from college, and my GF's house in upstate NY from Long Island(cause we met at out college)

Thanks again!

__________________
"I have been to the dark side.....their cookies are horrible"

I find it really funny that most Jeep owners also want or own a Subby as a second vehicle.

Problem is OP, you're wanting something that stands out and draws attention. You're freshy 18 years old, you don't need that right now, especially if you can barely afford the XJ. Get something cheap that you won't really want to mod like a ****ty Chevy Cobalt or similar, keep the XJ to mod that, or sell it and have a Camaro and the Cobalt.

You can't own a muscle car and not think you won't mod it, because you will.

@DNFJ, I agree with the subaru comment, and also, i don't mean to completely draw attention all the time, just something that's different than what everyone else has, and I have no problem affording the XJ, I just am thinking of something better on mpg that I know ill be able to afford, since its the long a** trips that I stated above that is driving this decision. On the modding, the most I would do is exhaust, headlights, stereo, and rims. I don't trust myself mechanically enough to do anything more than that, and I certainly don't want to pay crazy labor fees for others to do it.

sorry to counter your argument, but that's what I would do IF i had the camaro, I'm not the insane modding type, id want to keep the car as nice as I could without doing crazy mechanics and modiications.

oh and one last thing, same goes for a jeep, you cant own one and not mod it lol

__________________
"I have been to the dark side.....their cookies are horrible"

I totally understand your sentiment about not wanting to own a samey boring vehicle, but you can really make anything unique if you want to. There were 2.8 MILLION Cherokees made, so they're not exactly unique head-turners, but with the help of some personal modifications and/or (like mine) a rare and unique factory paint color, even they can still turn heads. I've seen Cavaliers, Tauruses, Park Avenues, even a Corolla that stood-out and made me look.

Modstock's comment about XJ mpg becoming "part of the budget" reminded me of something. Yes, the XJ gets lackluster mpg, but it's incredibly reliable--when it DOES need to be maintained, it's super easy to work on, and parts are generally quite cheap. Add in the value of having the capability of a higher ground clearance and tough 4wd and the relatively low insurance cost for this type of vehicle, and I honestly think these are quite the deal compared to people driving around with car/lease payments and unreliable cars with expensive parts and crazy insurance costs.

People hear my mpg and think that my XJ must be so expensive to own, but then I tell them that I can do nearly all the work it needs (which isn't often) all by myself with cheap parts, they realize that their automotive budget is probably way more than mine with my thirsty XJ. I've extended my oil change interval by using a larger oil filter and synthetic oil as well, so even my oil change budget is inexpensive. I don't know if it completely makes-up for an average city+highway 18 mpg, but it at least takes the edge off.

Keep the Jeep. Get a "boring" car and keep the Jeep. Get a "boring" car then get a "toy". Those are what I'd consider if I were you. Getting rid of the Jeep, NOT getting a "boring" car, and just getting a "toy" just isn't the best idea. Do what you want though because--and I mean no offense with this because I was the same way at that point in my life--you're just going to do what you want anyway whether it's a good decision or not. We can't force wisdom onto you especially not without really knowing you, so you'll just have to make your own decisions and learn from whatever mistakes you make. Hell, years later I'm still trying to decide if it was a mistake to have a suped-up 83 El Camino in high school and college without having a cheaper and/or more reliable driver or if it was a mistake to get rid of it. Both possibilities sure as hell inform my present-day automotive decision-making, though.

I agree with you on that, although in my experience, I dont have time time or know how to fix up the jeep when calls for it, so I ahve to go to someone else, and what was once a simple fix, becomes an expensive pain in the ***. And nobody likes that haha

__________________
"I have been to the dark side.....their cookies are horrible"

I agree with you on that, although in my experience, I dont have time time or know how to fix up the jeep when calls for it, so I ahve to go to someone else, and what was once a simple fix, becomes an expensive pain in the ***. And nobody likes that haha

Oh, I understand, but IF you have any interest in it, it's easy to learn especially with the help of places like JeepForum. I've owned a Jeep for less than 2 years; I knew nothing but the basics of small-block Chevy maintenance and modification when I bought it, and now I'm "the Jeep expert" among friends and family and dishing-out info and advice on the site that taught me so much.

It all starts with deciding to tackle a simple project yourself like changing transfer case oil or replacing shocks. Next thing you know, you're confident enough to say, "I'm going to try replacing that damned oil filter adapter O-ring" or "I think I'll overhaul my cooling system next month." At some point, you may find that you've climbed the totem pole so high that you're not afraid to try anything on your own anymore; if not, at least you can do some things yourself and know what your limit is. I'm a freak, and I've climbed so high on the Jeep pole that I've now hopped over to the Subaru pole and will be changing my girlfriend's timing belt and, maybe, her head gaskets by myself. The money saved vs paying for all that labor is quite the motivator.

@DNFJ, I agree with the subaru comment, and also, i don't mean to completely draw attention all the time, just something that's different than what everyone else has, and I have no problem affording the XJ, I just am thinking of something better on mpg that I know ill be able to afford, since its the long a** trips that I stated above that is driving this decision. On the modding, the most I would do is exhaust, headlights, stereo, and rims. I don't trust myself mechanically enough to do anything more than that, and I certainly don't want to pay crazy labor fees for others to do it.

sorry to counter your argument, but that's what I would do IF i had the camaro, I'm not the insane modding type, id want to keep the car as nice as I could without doing crazy mechanics and modiications.

oh and one last thing, same goes for a jeep, you cant own one and not mod it lol

Ok then if you can afford the XJ why do you want to get rid of it? You just said you want something with better MPG to afford it better.